Madred
Gul Madred was a Cardassian officer placed in charge of the interrogation of Captain Jean-Luc Picard on Celtris III in 2369. As a starving, homeless child living on the streets of Lakat, Madred scavenged for and ate raw taspar eggs straight from the shell. He later recalled being beaten and having his arm broken by an older boy for the eggs, an experience he clearly never recovered from. As an adult, he came to endorse the Cardassian military establishment, believing that it had the power to prevent such social maladies. Madred later had a daughter named Jil Orra, who he routinely allowed to visit during his work. During intensifying hostility between the Cardassian Union and the United Federation of Planets over territorial concessions, Madred captured Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the starship by faking evidence of a metagenic weapon on the Cardassian planet Celtris III. There, Madred sought to uncover Starfleet's defense operations for Minos Korva by first drugging, then torturing Picard. Proving himself to be both cunning and brutal, Madred employed unique tactics which he felt stripped his victim of his individuality, stripping Picard of his clothing and referring to him simply as "Human". At the height of his sadism, Madred continually showed Picard four bright lights, telling him that there were in fact five lights. When the captain refused to submit, he was punished: a small device implanted in the captain's chest allowed Madred to inflict pain in any part of the body. Ultimately, the Cardassians' intentions were exposed and Picard's release was ordered. Despite his best efforts, Madred was not able to successfully break Picard's will - although the captain later admitted that he came perilously close to breaking. ( ) Background Madred was played by David Warner. The character has also appeared in several DS9 novels, including Andrew Robinson's A Stitch in Time (post Dominion War) and Ship of the Line by Diane Carey. In Robert Simpson's Lesser Evil, Madred appears in scenes set in 2347 on Kora II, where Madred was a Glinn. Also, Madred appears in the TNG short story "Four Lights" by Keith R.A. DeCandido in the anthology The Sky's the Limit, in which Picard and Madred are reunited during the Dominion War, with Madred in the Enterprise brig. During the comic story "Perchance to Dream", when Picard is forced to enter his own mind to defeat a telepathic virus called the Chova with the aid of his other personalities (Sarek, Locutus and Kamin), he uses the mental image of the four lights Madred confronted him with to remind him of past victories while in his mind. Using the strength from this image, he is able to overcome Locutus when the latter attempts to gain control of his body, coldly informing Locutus that he will not give in before he is awakened once more. In Star Trek Online, Madred has become the leader of the True Way organization and formed an alliance with a faction of Alpha Jem'Hadar to protect the True Way's mining operations. External link * de:Madred es:Madred it:Madred nl:Madred Category:Cardassians Category:Cardassian military personnel Category:Guls